Syrian opposition talks conclude day 1, no agreement on Assad

The first day of the Saudi-hosted Syrian opposition talks ended on Wednesday, without agreeing on key issues, including the future of President Bashar al-Assad in a transitional period, Al Arabiya News reported.

Riyadh: The first day of the Saudi-hosted Syrian opposition talks ended on Wednesday, without agreeing on key issues, including the future of President Bashar al-Assad in a transitional period, Al Arabiya News reported.

The opposition figures also had a dispute over whether to dissolve the current Syrian security and military bodies or reform them.

Earlier in the day, around 100 representatives of the in-home and in-exile Syrian opposition groups started talks in Riyadh to reach a political solution to the crisis gripping the country for almost five years.

On Thursday, the opposition figures are expected to discuss terrorism, cease-fire and reconstruction of Syria.

The two-day Riyadh conference is the latest attempt to end the opposition groups' long-standing disunity and to pursue a peaceful solution to the conflict that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions of others.